21 Aug 2012, Amritapuri
Today marked the beginning of the Ganesha Chaturthi festival here in Amritapuri.
The festivities began before sunrise with a Ganapthi Homa in the Kalari. After the homa a Ganesh statue was installed in a temporary altar just in front of the Kalari where it will reside until the end of the festival when it will be immersed in the sea.
Later in the morning one of the ashram elephant, Lakshmi, was brought into the main hall in a procession, where the Gaja Puja was performed.